Known for the particular character of Katherine, William Shakespeare’s play, Taming of the Shrew has opened many discussions in regards to the personality of Katherina. Throughout the play, many suitors are not interested in courting Katherina because of her shrewish actions. That is until Petruchio decides he wants to wed her. In the end, Petruchio and Katherina have a happy marriage in which Katherina no longer acts against Petruchio and the societal norms. However, if all it takes for Katherina to stop defying the individuals she encounters, was it truly her personality that caused her to act this way? While countless scholars believe Katherina’s shrewdness is an aspect of her personality, it seems that Katherina’s is simply a child who is reacting to the love she does not receive from her own father. This can be seen in the way Baptista discusses Katherina and how he treats her, the way Bianca is treated more fairly by Baptista, Baptista’s reaction to a potential marriage between Katherina and Petruchio, and the fact that once Katherina does receive love from someone, she is no longer sulking in her anger. Before analyzing the relationship between Baptista and Katherina, first the reader needs to understand the concept of a shrew. Traditionally known to be “loquacious, scolding, railing, irrationally violent, tricky women” …show more content…
It is not true that Katherina is only a shrew because of her personality, but rather because of the treatment Baptista gives her. With this in mind, her submission to Petruchio becomes the realistic outcome of this play. There is no reason for Katherina to challenge Petruchio when he has finally given her what she desired most. She finally has someone who genuinely wants to be with her and help her. Not someone who sees her as a